New Flaming Lips Album "Embryonic"

[chrisredco]

Having been a long time Flaming Lips fan, I was excited about their latest release "Embryonic" being available this past Tuesday. I must say, my excitement was literally compressed, slammed into a brick wall, compressed and then slammed again after trying to get through this double album.

I honestly cant remember having heard a worse recorded and mastered album in my life. Nothing but distortion and compression, making this a truly unlistenable album to my ears.

I am a HUGE fan of experimentation in music and consider myself to have an open mind in such matters, but I defy you to listen to this new album all the way through in 1 sitting. It is truly painful.

I didn't think the recording/mastering of a record would get any more painful that what I heard from the last Metallica album. I was wrong.

[jdg]

im pretty sure this was done on purpose for artistic reasons

the distortion, that is, not the unlistenable part.

[chrisredco]

I'm sure it was, as The Lips have used distortion very effectively in previous recordings, but the level of it here and the shear ear-fatiguing brick wall mastering done to the album is a real shame. There might really be some good songs buried under all that!

[imgoinmad]

That's interesting, I originally streamed a couple songs from the npr link and liked the couple tracks I listened to. Of course streaming isn't going to be like playing the disc

Were you listening to the CD or the DVD-A?

First Listen: The Flaming Lips, 'Embryonic' : NPR

[Cellotron]

Production, engineering and mastering all credited to Dave Fridmann. I think they wanted things to "blow up real good".

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[imgoinmad]

The NPR article indicates that these were home demos made from lengthy jam sessions. I wonder how much they added to the original tracks ==>>

When it came time to record new material, Coyne — along with multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd, bassist Michael Ivins and drummer Kliph Scurlock — decided to shake things up. Instead of each song being constructed track by track, Embryonic began as a series of long, improvised sessions at Drozd's house. The band then brought those demo recordings to longtime producer Dave Fridmann, who encouraged the group to refine the tracks into true songs.


"We ended up with these little pieces of jam sessions that were kind of cool," Coyne recently told Paste Magazine, "and we initially were thinking that they were to be the blueprint for something we would redo in Dave [Fridmann]'s studio. We went up there and played it for Dave, and he's like, 'This is kind of cool just like this, and it's got this crazy energy about it,' and it did sound actually good."

[chrisredco]

I definitely believe the fact that these songs started as jams, as most of them are just grooves that never seem to develop, they just chug along and add noises and distortion at various times.

I was listening to this on CD, and honestly thought the first time around that something had gone wrong with my CD burner as it was so horribly over the top distorted. But then, other songs had normal sounding quieter parts, so I knew it was definitely the intention of the band/producer. I have since seen others making comments like myself elsewhere.

David Fridmann should be ashamed to have his name on this. It does not do him any credit/justice.

[chrisredco]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

Production, engineering and mastering all credited to Dave Fridmann. I think they wanted things to "blow up real good".

Best regards,
Steve Berson

I would be interested to hear your take on these tracks if you ever hear them, being in the mastering field.

[Llitsor]

Originally Posted by jdg

im pretty sure this was done on purpose for artistic reasons

Ahh, so thats the excuse used now is it..

[lakeshorephatty]

Hurts my ears too.. too bad... liked the music on the last couple albums but i can't listen to it.

Russell

[jeremyglover]

i've listened to this record at least 3 times a day for the last week and think it is amazing. it's a headphone masterpiece.

it seems like you guys listen to the sound quality of records rather than the music.

i'm glad there are bands like this that follow their heart and don't fall into the itunes/mtv/starbucks all sound the same trend.

[Larry Mal]

I'm a big Lips fan myself. I wonder if there isn't going to be two versions- the supercompressed radio version and another. Didn't they do that with the last album?

I'll still check it out. I go in cycles with them, and am getting back into another.

[imgoinmad]

currently you can buy the double cd...or the 2 cd/1 dvd-a package. I'm assuming the dvd-a would be less compressed than the cd...I sure would hope so

[R3k]

I too quite like the record, have been enjoying it since release.

There are loud distorted records that are fatiguing to me, ones that I feel the music has been somewhat compromised by the mix / mastering process.

and there are loud distorted records where this production style has added to the impact and coolness and individuality of the album.

The Lips album, id place in the 2nd category. Those blown up drums and fat basslines sound pretty good to me.

[shuchoco]

Originally Posted by chrisredco

David Fridmann should be ashamed to have his name on this. It does not do him any credit/justice.

i totally disagree. i think it's a great credit to him that, despite the way it was recorded (reportedly), and despite the abundance of grit and distortion over pretty much all of the individual sounds, there is, in my opinion, still clarity. it doesn't sound like a distorted mess to me, it sounds beautiful and full of intention.

if you find this unlistenable you'd be well advised to go listen to some merzbow or guilty connector for a while to broaden your palette.

[Jesse Graffam]

Originally Posted by shuchoco

if you find this unlistenable you'd be well advised to go listen to some merzbow or guilty connector for a while to broaden your palette.

or Janski good stuff, sometimes. i don't know if i still could, but there was a time when i could sleep with Merzbo playing. there's much more visceral stuff to listen to, surprisingly to some.

[cyjanopan]

i love the sound of this album, the bass sound on Worm Mountain is mindblowing ! I love those textures more than clarity. But what can I say, I like Wavves album too so it is not too distorted for me

[cyjanopan]

After first listening I went to internets and bought moog analog delay, one of best uses of delay ever on that album

[recall]

Pitchfork: TV

Making of video. Only up for today so be quick.

[Cheebs Goat]

Originally Posted by chrisredco

I definitely believe the fact that these songs started as jams, as most of them are just grooves that never seem to develop, they just chug along and add noises and distortion at various times.

Funny. The only other album I've heard done that way is "Story of the Ghost" by Phish. And that album is a shining example of audio fidelity...for the most part. But seriously, about 10 of the 14 songs were cuts taken from a huge free form jam cut n' pasted into place with overdubbed vocals added. And it sounds fantastic.

There is no reason recording in this way would necessitate 2-buss distortion. If I were to guess, I'd say that the Lips' record sounds the way it does because it is a Lips record.

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by Cheebs Goat

Funny. The only other album I've heard done that way is "Story of the Ghost" by Phish. And that album is a shining example of audio fidelity...for the most part. But seriously, about 10 of the 14 songs were cuts taken from a huge free form jam cut n' pasted into place with overdubbed vocals added. And it sounds fantastic.

Frank Zappa released a few albums done in this manner.

[strdsk]

I look forward to hearing this and forming my own opinion on it...along with the Pink Floyd cover album. Love the Lips!